CLAIM is an action, strategy, indie and simulation game set on a hostile alien world where players act as frontier contractors for rival corporations. The core experience combines resource extraction, base construction, power management and defense against both environmental threats and competing teams.
Gameplay
Players land on a hex-tiled planet divided into multiple biomes and begin by scanning for deposits of iron, copper and carbon. Mining involves cutting ore directly from rock formations with handheld tools before physically hauling loads back to the outpost. Every resource moves by hand or vehicle, creating a tangible loop of collection, transport and processing.
Raw materials convert through production chains into ingots, plates and finished parts at refineries and fabricators. Bases expand on a circuit grid where generators, batteries and cabling must connect every machine. Aether, a volatile energy source, requires dedicated piping and storage tanks. A single severed line can disable sections of the facility during combat.
Heavy machinery plays a central role. Gunships such as the ALAR provide aerial transport and firepower with cannons and rockets. Mechs and ground vehicles handle heavy hauling and can switch to combat roles when threats appear. Native hive creatures respond to industrial activity with increasing aggression, forcing players to balance expansion against defensive needs.
Clone mechanics add consequence to failure. Each death returns the player via the clone bay, yet repeated losses carry an ongoing cost tracked by the corporation. Physical interactions extend to crew support, including dragging downed teammates to safety.
Game Modes
Online co-op supports squads of up to four players who divide tasks across mining runs, construction, piloting and perimeter defense. Coordination determines how efficiently the outpost grows and how well it withstands creature waves.
Arena deathmatch provides direct player-versus-player conflict where rival contractor teams compete for control of territory and resources on the same world. PvP remains optional in broader play, allowing groups to focus on cooperative expansion or mix in competitive encounters.
Setting and Mechanics
The frontier operates under corporate contracts that grant ownership only to what can be held against rivals and the planet itself. Supply drops from orbit require retrieval, and broken logistics lines starve the base. Noise from increased industry draws larger creature responses, creating a feedback loop between production scale and defensive demands.
Hands-on systems emphasize carrying, plugging, loading and routing rather than abstract menus. Power grids and Aether networks demand careful layout to avoid cascading failures during attacks. The clone system reinforces the contractor identity: players are replaceable assets whose performance determines continued corporate support.
Is It Worth Playing?
CLAIM targets players who enjoy detailed base-building survival combined with co-op logistics and occasional PvP pressure. The emphasis on physical resource handling and interconnected power systems rewards methodical planning and teamwork. Early Access development continues through at least spring 2027, with ongoing additions to base-building features, creature ecology and world variety based on community input. Those drawn to industrial management on alien worlds with both cooperative and competitive elements will find the current scope and planned expansions aligned with that interest. Single-player options exist alongside the multiplayer focus, though the design centers on squad coordination.
